Czech Republic photographer Pavel Pětroš documents suburban and industrial areas near his home. His strong use of colour, line, and graphic elements make his photographs memorable and give them a strong sense of place. He finds beauty in the everyday world giving a sense of nobility to neglected areas. Be sure to check out his website and Tumblr for more photos.
I asked him eight questions about his work and his current projects. Our online conversation has been lightly edited for clarity.
Tell me a little about yourself. Where are you from, and where do you live now?
I come from the Czech Republic. I live near the border of Slovakia and Poland in the industrial region. I have always lived in this region since I was born.
What projects are you working on these days?
I have a lot of ideas, but nothing that could be considered a project. So, basically, I am photographing my surroundings.
Your documentary photos are interesting and visually pleasing. What message are you trying get across?
Thank you. There is no general message. I am just photographing my surroundings the way I see them. The individual message is in every photo.
You have been blogging for some time now. Is a blog important for articulating your thoughts?
I used to blog to write and post my photos. Now, I am posting only photos. I use it just as a photo sharing platform.
Who or what inspires you?
I am inspired by my surroundings. I work in Ostrava city. This is where I take most of my photos. When I travel, I photograph what I see around me. What attracts me.
What’s your state of mind when you’re taking good photos? Do you think there’s any connection between your mood or mindset and the results you get?
My mind set always same. It is that feeling that I need to photograph.
Can you tell me a bit about your exhibition “No Constructive Conclusions”?
There is a little backstory. I got to know Piotr Kaczmarek through Flickr. Last year Piotr suggested having a joint exhibition in AMI gallery in Wroclaw, together with Wojtek Mszyca (Poland) and Ian Nutt (UK). I knew Wojtek from Flickr, too. We met once in Katowice where we were photographing together. Based on this, we decided to show our photos from this location in the exhibition. Ian also knows Wojtek and was shooting in the area, too. Later, this exhibition moved to Frydek-Mistek (Czech Republic), where it is displayed until the end of June 2017. Perhaps, if it works out, the show will move to UK later. Regarding the name of the show, we just didn’t have anything constructive. No constructive conclusion was made.
One final question: Can you tell me briefly about a couple of photographers I may not be familiar with yet but you would recommend checking out?
You probably don’t know these Czech contemporary photographers: Vladimir Birgus, Evzen Sobek, Tomas Pospech. Their work is worth checking out.
Many thanks to Pavel for doing this interview. I’m so appreciative of his thoughtful answers that provide insight into his work. Be sure to check out his work on his website and on Tumblr.
